Happy Halloween!

I spent the afternoon at my local community center, helping out with a Halloween Party for kids of all ages.

I decided to help out there because there are no Trick or Treaters in my neighborhood.

None. Zip. Zero. Nada.

I did buy a big bag of beautiful fresh apples, just in case.

I can always make a pie.

This is so very different from living in the tony suburbs of North Jersey where, it was not uncommon to spend $100 just in candy - and still have to close the doors and turn off the lights by 8 PM because we were OUT.

I'm learning that, in rural areas, this is often the case. Instead, residents tend to gather in schools or community centers and churches.

There are several churches in the area that are hosting teen Halloween Dance Parties tonight. Unfortunately, it has the "feel" of the church in "Footloose". They "allow" dancing but it's all a ruse to proselytize - vs. evangelism.

Whatever. Kids are so desperate to have a good time in community that they'll put up with all the crap from the adults. Sort of reminds me of hungry people who will stand in line for a hot meal and turn a deaf ear or smile compliantly while folks prattle on and on about "Jeeeesuss" and His love.

Which, of course, comes on condition of walking right and talking right and doing right - "right" being defined by "them".

It's funny, you know. In dealing with "monsters", some folk reveal exactly what is "monstrous" about human nature - and it has nothing to do with blood or gore.

Instead, it has everything to do with the images of The Divine that we construct out of our own political agendas to control people and gain power and authority for ourselves.

Talk about "trick or treat"!

Talk about "scary"!

And, don't even get me started on on the horror show that is Wall Street and the monsters of corporate greed and corruption.

I hope everyone has a "spooktacular" Halloween celebration - wherever you are and whatever you "dress up" to be.

If you'd prefer, there's always an Online Altar of Remembrance you can visit on Facebook.

And, here's one at All Saint's, Pasadena, in honor of Dia de los muertos.

I'm constantly in awe of the abilities of "social networking" to address spiritual needs of people who are increasingly isolated as the world gets smaller and smaller.

Here's another interesting application from Trinity, Reno, NV called "A Month of Gratitude" - another virtual community effort to "explore gratitude in your life".

I love this - even as the possibilities boggle my mind. I guess my religious imagination, as expansive as it is, is still not large enough to get my mind around the vastness of this concept.

Turns out, the "communion of saints" is much larger than the ancients who coined that phrase ever imagined it to be.

Sort of scary, in a way. Not in a Halloween kinda way, of course, but spooky in its own right.

Forget "Ghoolies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night".

Reality is still far, far scarier - whether or not people show up for it.